Does Vasodilation From Minoxidil Cause Eczema (dermatitis)

[-Synergy-]

Might be a strange question but I just want to know if I can get opinions on this. I am getting ready to use minoxidil again after my skin broke out bad from the first attempt. I was also using nizoral and switching between rogaine foam and Kirkland the first time. I patch tested myself with everything and had no reaction to foam or lipogaine, slight dryness to Kirkland, and nizoral left a red mark on my arm for a few days. I for sure am not using Kirkland or nizoral again. Now I would like to know if it’s possible for vasodilation to play any role in this. My plan is to purchase formula 82m which has a steroid within it to counter inflammation. Instead of using the full 5% I might dilute half of it with distilled water to make it 2.5%. The efficacy of this formula is supposed to be at least two times greater than over the counter minoxidil so diluting it should theoretically reduce risk but still provide results.

When I search “vasodilation and dermatitis” this study shows up but there really isn’t anything else.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12077577/

 

[arnoldd]

If you got dermatitis or ezcema from minoxidil it can be an allergic reaction either to one of the solvents ( ppg) or to minoxidil itself..

 

[-Synergy-]

If you got dermatitis or ezcema from minoxidil it can be an allergic reaction either to one of the solvents ( ppg) or to minoxidil itself..

That’s what everything says and alternatively I believe the alcohol drys the skin causing contact dermatitis. I have been patch tested with minoxidil and everything is negative. The skin on the scalp can’t be different than the rest of the body can it?

I think this suggest that vasodilation or restriction plays no role.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.re...d_vasodilator_substances_in_atopic_eczema/amp

 

[arnoldd]

That’s what everything says and alternatively I believe the alcohol drys the skin causing contact dermatitis. I have been patch tested with minoxidil and everything is negative. The skin on the scalp can’t be different than the rest of the body can it?

I think this suggest that vasodilation or restriction plays no role.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.re...d_vasodilator_substances_in_atopic_eczema/amp

If your patch test with minoxidil was negative you can try again in the scalp and see what happens. Just minoxidil and nothing else for now. You can try with patch test in the forearm with nizoral too.

 

[-Synergy-]

This study compares 5% minoxidil to 2% minoxidil and claims that 2% causes less side effects and more specifically less pruritus and local irritation. I don’t think they would use less or more alcohol in either solution for a vehicle or solubility. If the amount of alcohol and water is equivalent in each solution then the only difference is the amount of minoxidil. Dermatitis can become exacerbated by pruritus and friction. I think I will begin with around 3% and slowly work my way up to 5%.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12196747/

 

[arnoldd]

This study compares 5% minoxidil to 2% minoxidil and claims that 2% causes less side effects and more specifically less pruritus and local irritation. I don’t think they would use less or more alcohol in either solution for a vehicle or solubility. If the amount of alcohol and water is equivalent in each solution then the only difference is the amount of minoxidil. Dermatitis can become exacerbated by pruritus and friction. I think I will begin with around 3% and slowly work my way up to 5%.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12196747/

The alcohol sometimes can cause some mild irritation but not dermatitis or ezcema, thats an allergic reaction, sorry mate

 

[-Synergy-]

I just took a dermapen and needled the skin on the underside of my forearm until redness and very slight blood. I sanitized the area beforehand and applied lipogaine to the area with a bandage. If I don’t get an allergic reaction then I have to assume it’s the alcohol. Minoxidil must not cause dermatitis but does cause pruritus from vasodilation. Then the alcohol exacerbates the Pruitus into dermatitis (contact dermatitis) for only some people. The skins dryness and breakage causes the fungus to invade. This could cause contact dermatitis to turn into seborrheic dermatitis. I am not allergic so I have to figure out a different explanation.

What if I mixed an antihistamine in with the solution for added precaution?

cetirizine?

 

[arnoldd]

I just took a dermapen and needled the skin on the underside of my forearm until redness and very slight blood. I sanitized the area beforehand and applied lipogaine to the area with a bandage. If I don’t get an allergic reaction then I have to assume it’s the alcohol. Minoxidil must not cause dermatitis but does cause pruritus from vasodilation. Then the alcohol exacerbates the Pruitus into dermatitis (contact dermatitis) for only some people. The skins stress causes the sebaceous gland to overreact and yeast invade. This could cause contact dermatitis to turn into seborrheic dermatitis. I am not allergic so I have to figure out a different explanation.

What if I mixed an antihistamine in with the solution for added precaution?

cetirizine?

Why did you do that ? Are you crazy ? When you apply a drug on a damaged skin you are increasing the possibility to become allergic.

 

[-Synergy-]

Why did you do that ? Are you crazy ? When you apply a drug on a damaged skin you are increasing the possibility to become allergic.

I am crazy but with time hopefully it gets better or worse. Your absolutely right, by applying a drug on damaged skin you are increasing the possibility of having an allergic reaction. After hours of it being on my skin there was not even a slight allergic reaction. This proves that I am not allergic to minoxidil. I can now rule out allergies as the cause for my dermatitis. Leaving only two possibilities.

A) The vasodilation of the drug causes pruritus which somehow plays a role in the expression of dermatitis.

B) The alcohol in the solution causes dryness and as a result overreaction of the sebaceous gland leading to dermatitis.

C) Both A and B

 

[-Synergy-]

What I have found is that the effect of vasodilation can release reactivate oxygen species causing itchiness or symptoms of oxidative stress. The ethanol or alcohol can do the same. The skin might have a hard time processing acetaldehyde from ethanol causing dermatitis. I will have to make something that traps moisture, anti inflammatory, anti oxidative, and blocks acetaldehyde or increase metabolism.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2596158/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21143248/

 

[-Synergy-]

This is an update on my use of minoxidil and how my skin tolerance to side effects is holding up. It has been two weeks of minoxidil use so far and I can report that I am experiencing very mild to no skin irritation from use. I have been using formula 82m (minoxidil, corticosteroid, tretinoin) once a day to limit my skins exposure to alcohol. Studies show that tretinoin increases minoxidils efficacy two fold. That means applying it once a day is equivalent to twice a day. After every week I take two to three days off. I have also created a combination of topical caffeine, polyphenols, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and B Vitamins. The caffeine has been shown to help repair the skins lipid barrier in men for improved transdermal water loss. Polyphenols are anti inflammatory, Nac has been shown to increase skin regeneration, anti fungal effects, blocks or increases metabolism of acetaldehyde (carcinogen) from alcohol absorption. All solvable in water, applied six hours after minoxidil, and I wear a hat to keep the water from evaporating for a few hours so that my skin stays hydrated and moisturized. Hair feels super soft after I do this. I have powerful corticosteroids as a backup plan. I hope my skin stays strong so I can continue with minoxidil and see results. Hopefully in the next two weeks to one month I see some small regrowth coming in.


I really wish I could permanently remove the rest of my flaking. Removing big flakes from pre existing dermatitis causes hair to come out in chunks......Damn

Adding licorice root extract for anti fungal.

 

[-Synergy-]

It’s been about a month now and my hair looks terrible. I mean my skin seems to be tolerating the 1ml amount of minoxidil that I’m applying as evenly as possible all throughout my scalp (40 drops = 1ml). I have been dropping it on and spreading it on the skin through my hair as much as possible. Twenty drops on top, five drops on the sides that I can kinda feel roll down the skin, and 10 drops on the back that roll down on the scalp underneath the hair. I know one month is way to early to see any results but my hair is really thinning fast. I’m assuming hair being treated by minoxidil usually becomes worse before it gets better? Did anyone else’s hair look a lot worse from minoxidil before it started improving? When I look at my scalp with a dermascope I see small pigmented hairs that are thick near the skin but thin at the top so I think that’s an indication of regrowth but maybe it could also be hair still in the process of miniaturization?

Might be starting to shed but don’t know for sure because I was shedding already.

 

[-Synergy-]

Starting the Candida diet now for about 1 to 2 months to see if it has any effect on the amount of flaking from dermatitis I am experiencing. Been on this diet for about three days now and zero sugar might cause my stomach to feel more hungry than it usually does. My hunger seems to have increased like three fold.

 

[-Synergy-]

Hair is without a doubt shedding like crazy now from minoxidil and it is freaking me out big time. I’m already 100% below baseline from my first try. I hope I can keep side effects away and this shed doesn’t last until there is nothing left. Inflammation is about 80 - 90% nonexistent so I don’t see how this can’t work.

Is it normal to shed hairs that look sort of terminal though?

 

[-Synergy-]

Has anybody experienced flaking or dermatitis while using minoxidil but still had good results?

 

[AllerganSaveUs]

The itchiness or "dermatitis" from Minoxidil is not caused by it's vasodilation effect. It is caused from minoxidil being a skin irritant on its own. If your minoxidil has PG or another irritating vehicle, it will be even worse. I used Minoxidil without PG and I still had the worst dandruff ever. I now take oral minoxidil and I do not have that issue. Also, having flaking or other inflammatory action while using minoxidil likely means it will not be as effective. Read here: https://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/2017/3/6/scalp-inflammation-and-the-effectiveness-of-minoxidil

 

[-Synergy-]

The itchiness or "dermatitis" from Minoxidil is not caused by it's vasodilation effect. It is caused from minoxidil being a skin irritant on its own. If your minoxidil has PG or another irritating vehicle, it will be even worse. I used Minoxidil without PG and I still had the worst dandruff ever. I now take oral minoxidil and I do not have that issue. Also, having flaking or other inflammatory action while using minoxidil likely means it will not be as effective. Read here: https://donovanmedical.com/hair-blog/2017/3/6/scalp-inflammation-and-the-effectiveness-of-minoxidil

Thanks for saying something and posting that article. I was trying to research how effective minoxidil might be with inflammation present but couldn’t find any info. It’s been a month so far and my scalp still feels fine. I get a tingle or itch here and there but nothing like when I tried using minoxidil before. I think the key might be to put moisture back into the skin that the alcohol takes out. I just don’t want the flaking I’m experiencing to stop the treatment from working. I’m also worried 1ml per use throughout the scalp isn’t enough.

how long did it take for you to see results with oral minoxidil or decreased shedding? I tried oral and it made me feel miserable.

 

[-Synergy-]

Starting to think that minoxidil is just poison in a bottle. Inflammation isn’t to bad but hair just seems to keep getting thinner and doesn’t look to good where I’m applying it.

Has anyone using minoxidil regrown a noticeable amount of hair while shedding at the same time?

 

[-Synergy-]

I thought I would give an update to my situation and experience with the minoxidil I have been using. So it has been three months now of using minoxidil 5 - 10% once a day. The minoxidil I have been using also contains anti inflammatories and ingredients to help penetration. Unfortunately, after three months I haven’t seen any well noticeable results. There might be more small vellus hairs getting longer in my temple point area. I see a lot of fine blond baby hairs coming in to form temple points but to the outside world it wouldn’t even be noticeable. My skin inflammation is still about 90% under control. Once in awhile I get a little itch here and there but nothing severe like before. I am still trapping moisture on my scalp and using potent corticosteroids. I only use the latter if the inflammation starts getting bad because excess steroid use isn’t good. I buzzed my long hair down to about an inch in length about thirty days ago. The shorter length helps the scale come out easier. I have also been using bakers p & s liquid (phenol) to help break the scale down. There is significantly less inflammation and scale is just floating in my hair now and not stuck to my skin but my hair is terrible and I’m not seeing any improvement.

https://www.hairlosstalk.com/intera...-recovering-hair-that-minoxidil-sheds.125464/

 

[-Synergy-]

I can confirm that this stuff works better than I expected if anybody ever finds themselves in a similar position I’m in. Using it everyday though might cause a little inflammation and you don’t want that adding up. Spacing out uses works better.

https://www.amazon.com/P-S-Liquid-8-oz/dp/B0000Y3DD2